This invention relates to a harvester, and more particularly to a mobile harvester of the type that is adapted to be driven along a row of plants with harvesting of product growing on the plants, such as fruit or berries, produced by shaking the plants. A harvester of this description is commonly used in the harvesting of fruit such as blueberries, raspberries, coffee beans, etc., although in indicating these fruits, it is not intended to limit the machine of the invention to any particular product.
In the usual harvester, a mobile frame is provided which is supported as by wheels for movement over the ground. The frame of the machine straddles the plants in the row from which the fruit is being harvested. Fruit is harvested by shaking the plants with various forms of shakers, and the fruit then drops onto catcher plates which are part of the harvester machine. The catcher plates travel with the harvester under the crop-producing portions of the plants, and optimally are closely adjacent the ground, whereby the plates are least apt to be encumbered by the plant stem structure. The plates are normally inclined, which is to say they slope downwardly progressing outwardly from the center of any bush being processed, so that fruit by gravity on coming into contact with the plates will move laterally outwardly in the row.
For many years it has been common to provide metal catcher plates in the catcher plate system of a harvester. Material of relatively thin gauge could be used in the manufacture of the plates, which contributes to lessening the weight of the catcher plate system, an important consideration when it is remembered that the harvester often is required to travel over soft terrain.
A problem arising from the use of metal catcher plates, however, is that while a metal plate has a degree of flexibility, a thin plate (particularly if made from aluminum) is relatively easily bent to an extent beyond which it becomes permanently deformed, and a plate or plates so bent seriously impairs the operability of a system. To strengthen a plate to resist such deformation adds weight to the system, and also introduces the possibility of damage to the plants being processed.
Plate damage occurring by reason of a plate striking and being bent beyond its elastic limit is a particular problem with low growing plants, where plant growth with fruit occurs close to the ground rather than at a raised elevation. An example of such a plant is the blueberry bush, which tends to spread out relatively close to the ground, as compared, for instance, to a raspberry bush, where cane or stem growth is substantially upright at close to ground level.
Catcher plates have been made from molded plastic, and conventionally these have had a rim of substantial mass extending about the perimeter of a plate. Normally this rim projects to either side of a central web expanse which forms the principal part of a plate. A plate of this description is relatively expensive to produce. Furthermore, the shallow recessed surface provided on the top and bottom of the plate provides catch regions for catching debris and other matter which on building up impairs plate movement.
The harvester of the instant invention features a catcher plate system which includes multiple plate members in the system cut from a sheet of plastic of uniform thickness. Sheet bodies are produced which are provided with turned-over lips bent into the sheet material of the sheet body. Such a turned-over lip, for instance, may provide the leading edge of the plate member when the vehicle moves through a field, and also a remote edge of the plate member which moves across the growth of the bush. These turned-over or bent lips add a limited degree of desired stiffness, and also have the function of providing an enlarged fender surface which contacts plant growth and rubs against it without causing damage to the growth. Because the sheet bodies, while being stiff, are flexible, they bend without deforming when striking plant growth. Structure is provided preventing face-to-face contact of adjacent plate members, to eliminate sliding friction, particularly under wet conditions, that restricts movement of the plates.
These and other objects and advantages are attained by the invention, which is described hereinbelow in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: